Leaders from the two largest state employees unions
endorsed tentative contract deals reached with the state,
which would end the largest strike by state workers in the
Gopher State’s history. Roughly half the state’s workers
have been on strike since October 1 delayed by two weeks
following the September 11 terrorist attacks (see
Minnesota State Workers
Strike
).

Governor Jesse Ventura approved the deal late Saturday,
but rank-and-file workers probably won’t vote on the
contract for several weeks.

Compromise Agreement

The agreement, reached just after 2 a.m. Sunday, would
give American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME) a 3.5% wage increase for each of the
next two years, according to a report from the Associated
Press.

Workers belonging to the Minnesota Association of
Professional Employees (MAPE) would receive 3% pay hikes
for each of the two years. Additionally, union
representatives said there were “significant improvements”
in the health care package compared with offers made prior
to the strike.

Both sides could claim victory in the final agreement.
Prior to the strike, the state had offered back-to-back 3%
increases for all AFSCME employees for two years and a
one-time 4% bump for MAPE’s members. For their part, AFSCME
had asked the state for a 5% across-the-board increase each
of the next two years, while MAPE had pushed for a 4.5%
increase.

During the strike, managers were pulling double-duty
shifts, while as many as 1,000 members of the Minnesota
National Guard had also been helping out.